Card game indicator



Oct. 31, 1933. R BOORE 1,932,442

CARD GAME INDICATOR Filed April 18, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l Rdes 2uys 6 "f o 9 d I HYDE D Gam n 33 33 n Oct. 31, 1933. R BOQRE 1,932,442

CARD GAME INDICATOR Filed April 18, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 31, 1933 PATENT OFFICE urrs STATES 1,932,442 CARD GAME INDICATOR Leslie R. Boore; Minneapolis, Minn. 1 Application April 18, 1932. serial No. 605,805

11 Claims. (01. 70)

My invention provides animprovement in card tables and is-directed to a simple, easily operated, and highly efficient indicator, bythe use of which there will be presented before each player a full '5 record of the exact amount bid and trump bid upon, and preferably also whether or not the bid has been doubled or redoubled. The device is adapted to be readily applied to tables in the process of manufacture, but may also be quite readily 10 applied to ordinary'tables by a slightly remodelling thereof. Generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices, combinations and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and defined in the claims. 1 t

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

7 Referring to the drawings:

121 Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a complete card table embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view partlyin plan but with some parts broken away showing the central portion of the table and illustrating the features of my invention on a much larger scalethan in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a-transverse vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; r I

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

- Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective showing a portion of an annular lock flange;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan View showingthe central or inner operating hub and a-doubled andredoubled indicator;

'Fig. 7 is a section taken on the line '7'7 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a section taken on Fig. 6.

The numeral 9 indicates a rectangular table top which may be either a new table or a remodelled table top, but is formed on the under-side of its central portion with a large recess into which is set a large disc-like indicator-supporting plate 10 that may be of wood or any other suitable material and may be made up of one or more pieces. This supporting plate structure 10, it will be noted by reference to'Fig. 3, isitself recessed at its top so that it receives several indicating elements presently to be'noted, with the said elements slightly below the upper surface of the table top.

Located on' and at the central portion ofthe plate 10 is a central or inner hub structure 11 formed outward of its recess with spring-contain- 55 ing pockets '12, the tops of which are normally the line 8 8 of closed by press buttons 13 subject to springs 14 contained in said pockets. An annular disc-like plate 15 is secured to and projects outward from the hub structure 11 and rests frictionally on the supporting plate 10. At' its outer portion, this 5 annular plate 15 is formed with a raised annular indicator dial or flange 16, on the face of which are marked several groups of digits, each j group running from zero to ten. These digits or numerals are preferably arranged in four groups, 5 each group-occupying one quadrant of the indi-. cator dial or flange 16 so that each of the four players will have before him what may be treated as his own indicator, but all of the indicators will give the same indication to the several players. I Mounted'to rotate over the annular plate 15 between thecentrally located operating hub 11 and the annular indicating flange 16 is an annular outer'operating hub 17, which, like the central hub 11, is provided with pockets 18, the tops of '75 which are normally closed by press buttons 19 subject to springs 20 contained in said pockets, see particularly Fig. l. Rigidly secured to and projecting outward from an annular hub 17 is an annular dial or indicating flange 21, on which is 0 marked in four groups the suit-indicating characters, to wit: spade, heart, diamond, club and no trump. The marked annular dial 16 may be conveniently designated as the bid amount indicator, whilethe marked dial 21 may be indi- 5 cated as the suit indicator; and from what has been said, it is obvious that both of said indicators are arranged so that each of four players will have before him his own individual indicator for both of the above noted features.

To cover all buton'e of the characters of the dial 16 and all but one of the characters of the dial 21' of any particular group of indicating devices, a cover plate or sheet 22 is extended over the dials l6 and 21 and up to the outer annular operating hub 17, which latter, as shown, is provided with a flange that projects over the inner edgeof said cover. This cover 22 may be a part of an original table or may be a separate sheet or plate independently formed and applied to the Preferably these sight openings 24 will cover with .a transparent material such as cellophane indicated at 25. t

Inasmuch as the annular operating hub 17 rests upon the rotatable plate 15 and would be frictionally moved when the latter is moved to'adjust the dials 16, suitable latch devices are applied to the depressible push buttons 19, see particularly Fig. 4. These push buttons 19 are provided with projecting pins or like elements 26 that normally engage notches 27 of an annular latch plate 28 that is secured to the inner edge of the cover plate 22, see Figs. 3 and 5. Since the plate has very extended engagement with the plate 10, accidental movement thereof will not be produced by rotation of the annular operating hub 17.

When the dial 16 is to be adjusted, the operator places a finger on each of the push buttons 13 so that the fingers get a good grip on the central operating hub 11 and so that by the operation of the fingers, said central hub can-be rotated to.

set the dial 16 in the proper indicating position. When the dial 21 is to be adjustedtheoperator likewise depresses the two push buttons 19 so.

' down-turned guide flanges 30. By reference particularly to Figs. 7 and 8 it will be noted that the plate 32 at its side edges is arranged to slide under the upper portion of the flanges 30 and. is

1 thereby held against upward displacement but free for the sliding movements described. The numeral 31 indicates a bowed spring intermediately secured centrally to the bottom of the hub structure 11 and provided with free ends normally under spring tension to move upward into the extremities of the slot 29. The ends of this bowed spring 31 are marked one with, theword doubled and the other with the word redoubled. Mounted to slide on the free ends of the spring 31, but guided by the flanges 30 is a cut-off plate 32 which when moved to one extreme position shown in Fig. '7, will uncover the word.redoubled and cover up the word doubled, but which when slid into its other position, will uncover the word doubled and cover up the word redoubled. When the plate 32 is moved to an intermediate position, it will cover up both the words doubled and redoubled and that of course will be its normal position. These severalindicators give the players of the game the best kind of indication of the conditions under which they are playing the particular hand. The device shown in detail in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, is especially useful in playing bridge, but the other indicating features will be found serviceable in playing various other card games or, generally stated, all card games where it is desirable to keep before the players not only the amount bid but the trump bid upon. On the corners of the board illustrated in Fig. 1, I have shown pads 33 containing the rules of the game anda score pad 34, which features, while convenient, do not form part of the present invention.

From the foregoing, it is evident that the preferred form of the device illustrated is capable of various. modifications as to details of construction and arrangement of parts within the. scope of the invention herein disclosed and claimed.

What I claim is: I

1. A card game indicator comprisingasupporting board, and mounted thereon, a centrally located inner operating hub, having an extended plate terminating in an annular dial having digits marked thereon for indicating the amount of bids, an annular operating hub surrounding said centrally located hub and provided with an annular dial marked with characters indicating the suit or trump bid upon, said hubs having independently exposed surfaces providing means to independently move the said two indicating dials by manual operation.

2'. A'card game indicator comprising a supporting board, and mounted thereon, a centrally located inner operating hub, having an extended plate terminating in an annular dial having digits marked thereonfor indicating the amount of bids, an annular operating hub surrounding said centrally located hub-and provided with an annular. dial marked with characters indicating the suitor trump bid upon, said hubs having independently exposed surfaces providingmeans to independently move theisaid two indicatingdials by manualoperation, and a plate covering, said dials but having at least one-sight opening arranged to expose atone time, one. characterof each of said dials. V

3..The structure defined in claim 2 in which the'characters on said'dialsare arranged. in repeating groups and saidcover isprovided with sight openings one for each of said groups.

fl. A card game indicator comprisinga supporting, board, and mounted thereon,:a centrally located inner operating hub, having-anextended' plate terminating in an annulardial having-dig its marked thereon for. indicating the amount of bids, an annular operating hub surrounding said centrally located hub and provided withan annular dial marked with characters indicating the suit or trump bidpupon, saidhubs having independently exposed surfaces providing means to independently movethe. said two indicating dials by manual operation, and releasable latch means holding said annular hub and. its; connected dial against rotation. v

5. A card game indicator comprising a supporting board, and mounted thereon, a. centrally located inner operating hub, having, an extended plate terminating in arr-annular dial havingidigits marked thereon for indicating the amount. of bids, an annular operating hub surrounding said centrally located hub and provided with an annular dial marked with characters-indicating:the suit orrtrump bid' upon, said hubshaving inde pendently exposed surfaces providing means. to independently move thesaid two. indicating. dials by manual operation, a depressible button applied to said annular hub, and latch means normally holding said annular hub against rotation and comprisinga notched annular flange secured 'adjacentsaid annular hub. and. a projection from said button normally engaging said notched flange but releasable therefrom when. said button is pressed. I

6. The structure defined in claim 5 inwhichjsaid button when pressed is-below the exposed surface of said annular hub and opens a hole giving the finger. a good grip on said hub.

'7. The structure defined in claim 1.in which said-central hub has applied. thereto a shiftable doubled and redoubled indicator.

8. The structure defined in claim l inwhich saidcentral hub has applied thereto a shiftable doubled and redoubled indicator, and comprising. a slide normallyv covering both of said indicators but-shiftable touncover either thereof 150 at will, and a spring-acting member normally pressing said slide and having on the extremes thereof the said indications doubled and redoubled.

9. The structure defined in claim 2 in which said annular hub is supported on the projecting plate of said central hub.

10. The structure defined in claim 2 in which said annular hub is supported on the projecting 

